1. Grand cultural program 'Sur Sarita-Symphony of Ganga' organised in Varanasi
Tags: National News
On the eve of the launch of the world's longest river cruise 'MV Ganga Vilas Cruise' on January 12, a grand cultural program 'Sur Sarita-Symphony of Ganga' was organised in Varanasi.
An overview of the news
Renowned singer Shankar Mahadevan led the grand concert being organised at the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor.
The nearly one-hour show ended with Shankar Mahadevan's rendition of 'Kartavya Ganga'.
During the concert, tourists and other dignitaries travelling on Ganga Vilas Cruise enjoyed the Sur Taranginis.
A grand cultural program 'Sur Sarita - Symphony of Ganga' was organized by the Ministry of Culture.
The world's longest river cruise MV Ganga Vilas will be flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 13, in Varanasi.
This luxury cruise over the coming 51 days will not only bring India's cruise tourism potential to the world but also showcase India's natural beauty, cultural heritage and spiritual splendour.
Ganga Vilas Cruise will cross Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Bangladesh and Assam in a journey of 51 days.
2. Indian High Commission signs MoU to establish Hindi Chair at Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka
Tags: International News
After World Hindi Day, the Indian High Commission signed an MoU to establish a Hindi Chair at Sabaragamuwa University in Sri Lanka.
An overview of the news
High Commissioner Gopal Bagale and Vice-Chancellor of Sabaragamuwa University Prof. Uday Ratnayake signed an MoU for establishment of Hindi Chair for cultural engagement through Indian Council for Cultural Relations.
The Hindi Chair will help to acquaint the students with India, its history and culture.
This will pave the way for popularising Hindi by appointing Indian faculties.
The Indian High Commissioner emphasised on sustainable use of resources by adopting innovative strategies in the event.
The Indian Mission will award a gold medal to the best-performing student of the Hindi Chair.
Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka
It is a public university in Belihuloya, Balangoda, Sri Lanka.
It was established on 20 November 1991 and consists of nine faculties.
3. US to support restoration of Hyderabad's Paigah tombs
Tags: International News
Financial assistance of $250,000 (through the US Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation) will be provided by the US for the conservation and restoration of 6 Paigah tombs built in the 18th-19th centuries in Hyderabad.
An overview of the news
The project will be implemented by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
Paigah Tombs Complex is a protected complex of the Department of Archaeology, Government of Telangana.
The Paigah Tomb (or Tomb Shams al-Umra) is a mausoleum belonging to the nobility of the Paigah family, who served the Nizam of Hyderabad (Asaf Jahi dynasty).
The construction of this mausoleum was started by Nawab Tegjung Bahadur in 1787 and later his son Amir-e-Kabir I helped in its construction.
It is also known for its architectural design. It is believed that the architectural style of the mausoleum is unique in the whole world.
The mausoleum is decorated with lime marble and shows a mixture of Greek, Persian, Mughal, Rajasthani, Asif Jahi and Deccani architecture.
The Paigahs were among the most influential and powerful families of Hyderabad in the 18th century. They were wealthier than most rulers, as well as responsible for the security and defence of the region.
The Paigahs claim to be descended from Hazrat Umar bin al-Khattab, the second Caliph of Islam.
4. Centre named new Integrated Food Security Scheme as Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana
Tags: Government Schemes National News
The new integrated food security scheme has been named as PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana ((PMGKAY) to provide free food grains to Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Primary Household (PHH) beneficiaries.
An overview of the news
Keeping in view the welfare of the beneficiaries and to maintain uniformity across states, all PHH and AAY beneficiaries will be provided free food grains under PMGKAY for 2023.
This integrated scheme will strengthen the provisions of NFSA, 2013 in terms of access, affordability and availability of food grains to the poor.
The implementation of this new scheme has started from January 1, 2023, which is benefiting more than 80 crore poor people.
The central government will spend over Rs 2 lakh crore in 2023 as food subsidy under NFSA and other welfare schemes to ease the financial burden of the poor.
PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana ((PMGKAY)
It is a part of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP) to help the poor fight the battle against Covid-19.
Its nodal Ministry is the Ministry of Finance.
Under this scheme, the government provides additional free of cost 5 kg per person per month food-grains (rice/wheat) to around 80 crore beneficiaries of National Food Security Act (NFSA) including the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) beneficiaries.
The PMGKAY has now been linked with One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) plan where migrant workers can get the benefit of the scheme through any ration shops in India.
5. 13th India-US Trade Policy Forum
Tags: Economy/Finance International News
Piyush Goyal was on an official visit to New York and Washington DC from January 9-11 to participate in the India-US Trade Policy Forum.
An overview of the news
The 13th Trade Policy Forum (TPF) meeting was hosted by US Trade Representative Catherine Tai in Washington on 11 January.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal at the forum urged the US to expedite the issuance of business visas so that people can make short trips to pursue their trade and business interests.
After participating in the forum, he said that the issuance of business visas in India is taking a long time and needs to be expedited so that investments are not affected.
His visit included delegation-level talks and a meeting with US Trade Representative Ambassador Catherine Tai.
There is an increasing movement of professionals, students, skilled workers, investors and business travellers between the two countries.
According to the commerce ministry, in 2021-22, the bilateral trade between the US and India stood at USD 119.42 billion as against USD 80.51 billion in 2020-21.
About the India-US Trade Policy Forum
It is a platform for continued engagement between the two countries in the field of trade and to further enhance bilateral trade and investment ties.
The 12th TPF Ministerial Conference was held in New Delhi on 23 November 2021 after a gap of four years.
6. Punjabi will be taught in Australian schools
Tags: International News
Punjabi is all set to be the newest language to be taught in public schools of Western Australia. The Australian government has decided to include Punjabi language in schools.
An overview of the news
The number of Punjabi speakers in Australia is continuously increasing. Punjabi language has become the fastest growing language in this country.
According to the 2021 census, Punjabi is the fastest growing language in Australia, with more than 239,000 people using the language at home.
In comparison to the year 2016, there has been an increase of 80 percent in the number of Punjabi speakers in Australia in the year 2021.
This year the syllabus from pre-primary to 12th will be prepared. After including Tamil, Hindi and Korean languages in the curriculum in 2021, it has been decided to teach Punjabi in schools.
With over 190 languages spoken in Australia, linguistic diversity is a great strength that provides social, cultural and economic benefits.
About Australia
Head of State: British Monarch, King Charles III
Prime Minister: Anthony Albanese
Currency: Australian Dollar
Capital: Canberra
7. Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurates ‘Jai Hind- The New Light and Sound Program' at Red Fort
Tags: National News
On January 10, 2023, Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the 'Jai Hind-Naya Prakash Aur Dhvani Program / Light and Sound Show' at the Red Fort in Delhi.
An overview of the news
The program will be presented in Hindi and English languages.
The light and sound show has started after a gap of five years at the Red Fort.
This program is a new form of light and sound program already being organised, in which theatrical presentation of the history and bravery of India from the 17th century till now.
They will depict major events in Indian history related to the freedom struggle including the rise of the Marathas, the War of Independence of 1857, the rise of the Indian National Army and its trials.
It will have projection mapping, live action films, light and sound, actors, actresses, dancers and puppet shows.
As a part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, Archaeological Survey of India has already opened 4 museums, these are -
Yaad-e-Jallian Museum,
Museum on 1857 - India's First War of Independence,
lovers of freedom
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Museum in Red Fort.
Now the new light and sound show will further strengthen the patriotic pride among the audience.
8. India, Panama sign agreement on cooperation in training diplomats
Tags: International Relations International News
External Affairs Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar signed an MoU to enhance cooperation in the training of diplomats during his bilateral meeting with Panamanian Foreign Minister Janaina Tevane Mencomo in Indore.
An overview of the news
The agreement was signed during the visit of the Foreign Minister of Panama to participate in the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Conference.
The visit of the Panamanian Foreign Minister to India comes more than a month after the two sides held the 2nd Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) in Panama City on November 23, 2022.
During the consultations, both sides comprehensively reviewed their bilateral relations covering issues such as trade and investment, pharmaceuticals, capacity building, space cooperation and consular.
Both countries also discussed cooperation in multilateral fora.
Both countries agreed to hold the next round of consultations at a mutually convenient date in New Delhi.
About Panama
Panama is the southernmost nation in Central America.
The country is known for the Panama Canal, a man-made waterway that opened in 1914. This canal passes through the country, connecting the Caribbean Sea (Atlantic) with the Pacific Ocean.
Capital – Panama City
Currency - Balboa
President – Laurentino Cortizo
9. First meeting of Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion Working Group of G20 kicks off in Kolkata
Tags: National News
The first 'Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion' meeting of the G20 began in Kolkata on 9 January in the presence of guests and dignitaries from across the world.
An overview of the news
The three-day meet will focus on principles of digital financial inclusion, remittance costs and SME finance availability.
It began with a symposium followed by a session on the role of digital public infrastructure for enhancing digital financial services.
State Bank of India, GTX, UIDAI and NABARD among others participated in the symposium highlighting India's digital innovations to further financial inclusion.
The G-20 delegates visited the stalls at the symposium and discussed digital innovations and initiatives showcasing innovations for digital inclusion of the masses.
UIDAI Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Saurabh Garg said, through this workshop, digital innovations can help in financial inclusion thereby helping in productivity gains.
Aadhaar, UPI, Trade Receivables, e-Sign or DigiLocker showcased in the workshop to G20 countries.
Its purpose is to exchange information so that people of different countries can be benefited.
During the first month of the G20 presidency, meetings were held in Udaipur, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
10. World's first vaccine for honeybees approved for use by United States
Tags: Science and Technology International News
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved the world's first insect vaccine, which has been developed to protect bees from a devastating bacterial disease.
An overview of the news
US researchers have developed a vaccine to target a disease called American foulbrood.
The disease is caused by Paenibacillus larval bacteria and once it reaches a bee population, it has the potential to completely destroy the colony.
Dalil Freitak of the University of Helsinki and his colleagues discovered an important egg yolk protein called vitellogenin.
This fundamental discovery laid the groundwork for a new type of insect vaccine, and the team's first target was honey bees.
Effectiveness of vaccine
The vaccine works by binding to the vitellogenin protein in inactivated bacterial cells so that when consumed by the queen bee it can be transferred directly to her larvae.
This vaccine is given to the queen bees in the form of royal jelly. She swallows it, and fragments of the vaccine get deposited in her ovaries.
After exposure to the vaccine, immunity develops in the developing larvae.
A successful clinical trial demonstrated that the vaccine is both safe and effective.
Progeny from a vaccinated queen bee are much less likely to contract bacterial disease.
